Pre-Festival Specials

Two Fabulous Pre-Festival Concerts lined up for 2020:

STEELEYE SPAN + Smith and Brewer

Thursday 30th July 8.00pm (The Ham)

As one decade ticked over another, 1970 would prove to be an historic year for music and the world at large. For Steeleye Span it would mark a major milestone with the release of their debut album Hark The Village Wait. Five decades years on and the band, led as ever by the iconic vocals of Maddy Prior, celebrate their 50th anniversary with a night of career favourites and gems as well as tracks from that ground-breaking release.

Ben Smith and Jimmy Brewer are a close harmony vocal and guitar duo who have been performing together since they both opened as solo support acts for Joan Armatrading in 2015. Taking influence from the The Everly Brothers to Simon & Garfunkel, John Martyn to the countrified Grateful Dead, Smith & Brewer combine classic close harmony style with superbly honed songwriting craft and stunningly virtuosic guitar playing to produce a brilliantly accessible roots sound.

THE FISHERMAN’S FRIENDS

Friday 31st July 3.00pm (The Ham)

Bound together by lifelong friendship and shared experience for more than 25 years, the Fisherman’s Friends sing the traditional songs of the sea handed down to them by their forefathers. Despite their musical adventures, the band can still be found working their day-jobs and enjoying life on the North Cornish Coast. And they are always welcome guests at Sidmouth!

2019 saw the release of ‘Fisherman’s Friends’ a film based on the group’s discovery and signing to a major record label and a soundtrack album, ‘Keep Hauling – Music from the Movie’.